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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. present — the time now
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. present — there
  15. wax — to grow
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. toast — bread
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. roll — a list
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com